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SUPPORTERS at the Think Pink Gala Ball had plenty to cheer about when it was announced that a big-hearted anonymous local company had donated $40,000 (BD15,000) towards the breast cancer awareness campaign’s scanner appeal.
The news was delivered at the glitzy annual event staged at the Gulf Hotel’s Exhibition Centre by founder of Think Pink Bahrain, Jules Sprakel, on Friday evening.
The Gala Ball remains one of the main fundraisers for the charity every year, and despite the economic pressures of recent times, people rallied behind the cause and all tickets to the event were snapped up quickly.
Ms Sprakel said: “With the month coming to an end the donations are still coming in. To date, we can announce that we had the largest number of corporate sponsors and patrons attend our gala evening. We are looking at a total of BD45,000 just on the gala night alone.”
Other fund-raising events included a fitness day, an expat club dinner, golfing events as well as school bake sales.
“Every dinar counts and I was so proud of the schools who allowed me to talk to the staff and students, many of which were initiated by the students themselves,” Miss Sprakel added. “We hope to have a further installment for the MRI and a figure to give the community later in November.”
Amongst the celebrities at the ball was Bahrain’s star Olympic sailor Sami Al Kooheji, Think Pink Bahrain’s goodwill ambassador, who has helped raise the profile of the charity.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Steve Harrison, executive director and international advisor to the CEO at Bahrain Economic Development Board, who also conducted the auction with style and a firm grip.
Items snapped up included a day trip on a yacht courtesy of Coral Bay for BD2,600, a framed Argentina football shirt signed by Maradona for BD1,000 and a football signed by Spurs’ first team squad which scored BD650.
Throughout October, the world over, people have been working overtime to raise breast cancer awareness and the kingdom’s charity champions are working towards the purchase of a BD880,000 digital Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine for the Salmaniya Medical Complex.
The MRI machine is a diagnostic tool which helps detect breast cancer in younger patients and those at high risk. The purchase of this machine is vital, as statistics in Bahrain show that breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the kingdom affecting women as young as 19.
